DWIGHT GAYLE is proving money well spent for the Magpies as he scored his seventh goal in eight Championship fixtures. The former Palace hitman looks more than capable of leading the line as he keeps out Aleksandar Mitrovic.

MATZ SELS is not undroppable. The Belgian keeper, signed in the summer, has looked shaky all season and shut his Twitter account down in the week after criticism from fans after Villa’s late equaliser against Toon last week. Rafa Benitez had stuck by him - until this match where he was benched.

MICHAEL McGOVERN showed his heroics against Germany in the Euros were no fluke. The Northern Irish stopper was in sensational form to keep the score down in the first half.

BENITEZ’S slow use of his subs must worry fans. He took until the 70th minute to make a change here when it clearly was not working.

CAMERON JEROME and the Championship are the perfect fit. He beat his woeful tally of three from the Premier League last season with a stunner here.